Information about the Good Friday road race can be found on the Hamilton Cycling Club website.

Easter Sunday Race - Ontario(courtesy Rob Naish)

Information for this Sunday's Easter Sunday Loops race in Cobourg, Ontario is available at www.eagle.ca/cobourgcycle. Please be advised that the Information has been updated from the original race flyer to make it a little more clear that The Masters A 30-39 Category will be mixed with the Senior 3's. We look forward to seeing everyone on Sunday! The video finish camera will be warmed up and ready to go, so make sure you look good when you cross the line because you'll probably end up on the website. email: ccc@bikecrazie.com

Canadian Women in Europe

There is a Canadian development squad in Europe racing; here are some results from last weekend's Fleche Gasconne:

Note: Sophie St Jacques, Melanie McQuaid and Claire Townsend did not finish the last stage.

A Real Mountain Biker's Race...

News from Colorado about a new one day race that will cause the hair on your chest to fall out:

Boulder, Colorado - EPIC. OUTRAGEOUS. BOLD. CLASSIC. The Zinger will meet and exceed those descriptions when American bicycle racing takes a decidedly new journey on July 15 over a grueling 138-mile route from Boulder to Breckenridge. Celestial Seasonings announces its return to international cycling with what might be the single most arduous one-day event on earth. The race will dish out an outrageous course punctuated by seven major mountain climbs and crosses the Continental Divide.

Modeled after European events like Paris-Roubaix and the most difficult mountain stages of the Tour de France, the Zinger will feature a total vertical gain of nearly 14,000 feet over paved and dirt roads. Steep, off-camber descents - some without guard rails - and brutal winds are also characteristics of this challenging route. The estimated race time is seven hours.

Celestial Seasonings and its founder Mo Siegel, who ushered in the modern era of American cycling 25 years ago with the Red Zinger Bicycle Classic, are the driving forces behind this exciting new event.

"Nothing like this exists anywhere in the world," said Siegel. "We wanted to create something bold and epic - something so Colorado that people would be in awe of the difficulty."

"We wanted a race that evokes the characteristics of the European classics - long, extremely difficult, one-day events with elements unique to each race, like the cobblestones of Paris-Roubaix, or the numerous short, steep climbs of the Tour of Flanders," said Len Pettyjohn, who designed the course and serves as the race director.

"None of the European classics have the combination of elements we have put together - the climbing, the altitude, the blend of paved and dirt roads and the potential for dramatic changes in climate and environment," said Pettyjohn. "Only the best racers climb onto the podium in a classic, and that will be definitely be the case on July 15."

The Zinger route begins in front of the historic Hotel Boulderado in the heart of the city that has been the home of many world-class cyclists and races. After traveling south to Coal Creek Canyon, the racers will head west and tackle the first climb, a category one ascent to the town of Wondervu.

A rolling section along the southern segment of the Peak to Peak highway finishes with the ascent to Golden Gate Road, a category three climb that takes the racers above 9,000 feet, where they will remain for much of the day.

Following a fast descent into Black Hawk the peloton climbs again to Central City, and the top of Oh My God road, a category two climb that finishes with a treacherous gravel descent into Idaho Springs.

The next section, through Idaho Springs and Georgetown, includes a critical feed zone, where the racers refuel before beginning their most challenging climb of the day to the pinnacle of 11,671-foot Guanella Pass, a wild and unpaved road. This climb has been given an "hors categorie," rating for it's extreme nature.

"Guanella Pass is going to be a major selection for the strong men of the race," said Pettyjohn. "It's extremely nasty because it's so long, at high altitude and over gravel, which makes your bike feel slow and heavy."

The fifth climb (category two) comes at Kenosha Pass, at just over 10,000 feet. The summit of Red Hill Pass (9,933 feet, category four) follows 20 miles later. This section, through South Park, is where riders are likely to encounter intense winds, which could become a critical factor in team tactics as riders attack and chase each other across valley floor.

The racers will now have traveled well over 100 miles, yet a significant, final category two ascent still lies ahead - to the summit of Hoosier Pass at 11,547 feet. Ten miles later, after a twisting, tricky descent, the winner will cross the line in Breckenridge.

"We want to rewrite the cycling books again," said Pettyjohn. "I don't think there is anything more dramatic and daunting than the backdrop of the Continental Divide and five mountain passes over two miles high. The Zinger will define a new generation of American cycling legends."